Final Hours in Rome.

Monday, August 13th: I spent my final hours in Rome cramming in as much as possible (like everything else on this trip). I really, really wanted to see the aqueducts, and they definitely did not disappoint. Aqueduct Park is just this random park about three miles from Rome's center but really a different world away. I had almost forgotten about them until after I went to the Catacombs yesterday, and, after taking a stroll down Appian Way and a quick pop-in to a tourist info booth, I saw pictures of them.

What is cool about the aqueducts is that they are just "there". They are surrounded by a park with running paths and sheep grazing and very few tourists were around when I was there. My Lonely Planet guide did not even mention them; they were just something I knew about from teaching. To know that they have lasted thousands of years without much of a conservation effort, well, what can I say !?

After the aqueducts, I grabbed more pizza (they sell it by the kilogram in Rome) and just stayed out all hours of the night walking around the city. I visited the Spanish Steps, saw the Coliseum lit up at night, walked over to the field that was the "Circus Maximus" (where chariot races used to be held) and just soaked up the glory that is Rome!

Off to the North Sea tomorrow!